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Monday, January 31, 2011

Chocolate Peanut Butter Torte

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...My favorite dessert are, for the most part, European and barely sweet. I love those made with lemon, nuts or fruit and if you wrap them in a crisp and crackly crust, I'll follow you anywhere. That being said, there are also a handful of other, less classic, desserts that can cause me to fall from grace. This Chocolate Peanut Butter Torte is one of them, and, when it's in the house, my fall from grace is not a stumble, it's a free fall. I can't resist this torte. I really love the peanut and chocolate combination and when it's used as it is in this recipe, developed by Dorie Greenspan, just a bite has been known to make my socks go up and down. While there are several steps required to make this torte, they are simple and quite easy to do. I don't make it a habit to rewrite recipes of this caliber. Pastry chefs are exacting in their measurements and execution, and I have no problem following them, if the flavors being proffered are to my liking. I did make a substitution here that I want to talk about a bit. It has to do with chocolate crumbs that are used to make refrigerator pies or cheesecakes. Many of the better recipes use chocolate wafer crumbs to line pie plates or spring form pans. If you live in an area where they are available, no harm, no foul. If they are not available, most of you already know you can use Oreo cookies, sans filling, as a replacement. The problem is that there is rarely a conversion table to tell you how many cookies are required to do that. I did a quick test to determine quantities of each that are necessary for an equivalence conversion. As it turned out the magic number is eleven. Eleven Oreos, stripped of their filling, equal 1 cup of crumbs when ground. It takes about 20 famous chocolate wafers to yield that same amount. Greenspan's recipe uses Oreo cookies to make crumbs. I had none in the house, so I had to fall back on my supply of chocolate wafers. It was a novel twist. I hope you'll try this recipe. It really is perfect for a special Valentine's Day dessert, Here's the recipe.

Directions:1) To make crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and place it on a baking sheet. Combine chocolate wafer crumbs, melted butter and salt in a small bowl. Toss with a fork to moisten crumbs. Press into a thin layer covering bottom and sides of springform pan to within 1-inch of rim. Freeze crust for 10 minutes. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before filling.2) To make crunch: In another small bowl, combine 1/2 cup of chopped peanuts, mini chocolate chips, sugar, espresso powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Toss with a fork to mix and set aside.3) To prepare filling: In bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip 2 cups of cream until it holds medium peaks. Beat in 1/4 cup of confectioners’ sugar and whip until cream holds medium-firm peaks. Transfer cream into a separate bowl and refrigerate until needed. Wipe out (do not wash) mixer bowl, replace whisk with paddle attachment, and beat cream cheese with remaining 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar on medium speed until cream cheese is satiny smooth. Beat in peanut butter, whole milk, and 1/4 cup of chopped peanuts until well combined. Using a large rubber spatula, gently stir in about 1/4 of whipped cream to lighten mousse. Still working with spatula, stir in crunchy peanut mixture from step 2 above, then gingerly fold in remaining whipped cream. Scrape mousse into crust, mounding and smoothing top. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight; cover with plastic wrap as soon as the mousse firms.4) To make topping: To finish torte, put chopped bittersweet chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Leave bowl over water just until chocolate softens and starts to melt, about 3 minutes; remove bowl from saucepan. Bring reserved 1/2 cup of cream to a full boil. Pour cream over chocolate and, working with a rubber spatula, very gently stir together until ganache is completely blended and smooth. Pour ganache over torte, smoothing with a metal icing spatula. Scatter remaining 1/2 cup peanuts over top and chill to set topping, at least 20 minutes. When the ganache is firm, remove the sides of the springform pan. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

Oh My God! How can I possibily look at this wonder and not wishing to have a piece of it? Besides, I always have peanut butter and chocolate at home, so the temptation is very strong. Beatiful performance of a great recipe, thank you very much for sharing. Have a very nice week.

It made my socks go up and down just reading it. Beginning with Reese's Cups I've had a life-long love affair with chocolate and peanut butter. One of my favorite sweet treats is semi sweet chocolate squares dipped in chunky Jif, so I know this is going on the must make list.

This looks amazing. I am picturing the socks going up and down! I was not familiar with Dorie Greenspan so I just spent some time reading her blog and ordered her new book. It is not even 6 am and I have already been shopping!

I'll do anything for this cake. LOl! :o) Oh my, it looks so seducing. Bookmarked it for later use. Thanks for the addictive recipe, Mary. Hope you're having a great day too. I'll be busy celebrating the coming Chinese New Year in another 2 more days. See you later.Blessings, Kristy

Good little tip on the amount of cookies/wafers that equal a cup. I never do end up counting when I'm doing that!! mmmmmmmm... I love chocolate...I love peanut butter.. Yes, I will have the whole torte please!!

Oh my gosh, that looks amazing! If only the Booze Hound liked peanut butter! Actually, he likes Reese's, so maybe he would like this. I should try it, if for no other reason than just to lick the batter and eat some Oreos :)

Is there a happier "marriage" than that of chocolate and peanuts? I am currently babysitting Dorie's new book while my friend is spending a few months in Florida. It's one of those books that I know belong in my collection.

This looks absolutely, sinfully divine! I'm definitely making this for our Valentine's dessert! Guess I need to have a party! I have to perfect heart shaped plates that I bought at Williams Sonoma many years ago and now they are discontinued I believe. Thanks for the best recipes! Hope your day is wonderful!

Oh Mary! That is beautiful! I am making this asap...maybe this weekend. I will let you know how it goes. I love coming to your blog for your lovely recipes, your lovely stories AND your lovely pictures. Thanks for sharing it all.mickey

OMGoodness! That looks incredible! I will be out and about today and will definitely pick up the ingredients for this one. Peanut butter and chocolate are two of my favorites, but combine them and oh, boy!

This has to be one of the most decadent and tempting desserts I've seen this month! I can see why you would want to break from your normal dessert preferences...I think everyone would! I hope you are having a happy and hopeful morning. Many blessings as the week unfolds!

Oh, this cheesecake is fabulous - I made it quite early on in the Dorie Greenspan series. Thank you so much for your nice compliments on my blog - I was needing some encouragement and am now feeling quite chipper!

Do you bake for clients? Or how does your family eat all of these yummies! I don't like peanut butter in desserts or with chocolate - but, come ON, MARY- the pic of that cake is absolutely stunning. It is teasing me from the screen. It is enticing me from the screen. I feel my adrenaline heightening and fat being stored in my body as we speak just by LOOKIN at it. That is one wickedly gorgeous looking torte!:)Valerie

Oh, I have GOT to make this! I am visiting my mom in a week for her birthday and peanut butter and chocolate are her absolute favorites. I know she would love this torte. Me, too! Your blog is just gorgeous!

Commercial peanut butter contains salt and sugar that helps improve flavor. Its consistency is easier to incorporate with other ingredients used in recipes. If you want to use natural go for it, but the end product will not taste the same.

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